UFC 217's Curtis Blaydes gives his side of story on confusing finish vs. Aleksei Oleinik

NEW YORK – Curtis Blaydes saw an opportunity on the horizon when he noticed Aleksei Oleinik pop up off the mat in the first round of their fight. He figured he’d take advantage – and score an extra $50,000 – by greeting the Ukrainian-Russian fighter with a kick to the face in the second.

Blaydes had never rehearsed this kick, mind you. It’s hard to simulate something like that in practice. Still, no risk, no reward.

“I was trying to get a bonus,” Blaydes said after a controversial TKO of Oleinik in the second frame of their UFC Fight Pass-streamed meeting at UFC 217. “That’s what I get for trying to get a bonus.”

What Blaydes (8-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) didn’t know at the time was that the damage he’d done in the first round had already left Oleinik (55-11-1 MMA, 4-2 UFC) on wobbly legs. There would be no popping up when he got off the mat.

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So when Oleinik got up in the second, instead of delivering a square foot to the face, Blaydes went to kick off Oliynyk’s head. As it turned out, he’d only grazed the ear. But in the moment, it looked like a blatantly illegal strike.

The referee immediately stopped the bout, throwing the bout into confusion and drawing the crowd’s ire at Madison Square Garden. Blaydes was sure he missed the strike. But he worried officials would see it otherwise and disqualify him.

“I’m looking at (Oleinik’s) face, and he seemed happy,” Blaydes said. “The way people reacted when I threw the kick, they had me second guessing, like, ‘Maybe I missed it, maybe I did kick him, (and) I just didn’t feel it.’ But watching the replay, I missed cleanly.”

When the sequence was reviewed by the referee, he did, in fact, determine that contact had been made. But in the end, that wound up being irrelevant, because the cageside doctor had determined Oleinik was unable to continue.

It was an awkward way to end a fight. The crowd certainly didn’t like it, chanting, “Let them fight.” Blaydes could only be thankful the call had gone his way.

“I was really hoping to get a clean knockout without having a doctor or any controversy,” Blaydes said. “But a win’s a win, so I’ll take it.”

Next time, he said, he’ll try to be a little more careful. And maybe only try moves he’s tested in the gym.

“I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth,” he said. “I won. I’m happy.”

Watch the above video to get Blaydes full reaction to his controversial fight.